Whether concerned with looks or improving overall health, those who learn about weight loss are one step closer to reaching their goal. Researchers evaluated results of a national survey based on four components: diet, exercise, smoking status, and maintaining body fat; three percent met healthy standards and eleven percent met none of the standards. According to these results, and most people could benefit from improving their food and exercise habits.
While the modern world offers things like diet pills and cosmetic surgery, solving weight problems naturally is the healthier option. Weight loss is mostly dependent (80%) on food consumption. The other 20% comes from exercise (or lack thereof), sleep, hormone imbalances, and other factors. So, if people plan to lose weight effortlessly (while maintaining their current lifestyle), they will likely be disappointed (and, at the very least, they will likely gain it back).
The first step to losing weight easily is being more educated in health and how the body loses and gains weight. Listed below are some tips to optimizing the weight loss experience:
- Don’t make it difficult. Losing weight isn’t about expensive equipment. Weight loss is more about balance and less about making as many healthy changes as possible (implementing too many changes at once will likely do more harm than good anyway).
- Cardio exercise. Slowly increasing the intensity of cardio workouts will promote weight loss.
- Stay standing. Standing burns more calories than sitting.
- Participate in enjoyable activities. If an activity is enjoyable, people benefit mentally as well as physically.
- Consume water. In addition to improving fat metabolism, drinking sufficient amounts of water helps basic body functions, prevents headaches, and reduces hunger.
- Avoid fad diets. Fad diets work well for short periods but usually cause weight gain after it ends.
- Eat healthy fats. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids have healthy benefits and don’t contribute to weight gain.
- Eat protein early in the day. It takes more calories to process proteins than carbohydrates. Those who eat protein early in the day are less likely to eat snacks that are high in fat.
- Sleep properly. Too little sleep can trigger hunger mechanisms in the body (usually resulting in poor food choices).
Lose weight fast
Timelines for weight loss goals will depend on the goal and the effort required to meet the goal. Weight loss isn’t something that happens overnight, and it is a process that takes several weeks. People shouldn’t rush the process to prevent things like physical injury and restrictive diets, so it helps to plan and be ideal about the goal.
- Record observations of current lifestyle. A food diary could be beneficial.
- Set the goal. Doctors recommend gradual weight loss, so goals should be realistic.
- Record calories. Knowing how many calories are consumed makes it easier to know how many calories to cut. (Someone who cuts 250 to 1,000 calories per day will likely drop one to two pounds per week, depending on weight and activity level.)
- Improve exercise and food habits. People should exercise 150 minutes or more every week. Diets high in fiber, protein, and healthy oils are more filling than those composed of starch and sugar. (Additionally, there are correlations between high doses of sugar and cancer, so sugar should be consumed moderately.)
- Track progress. People can edit their weight loss plans more easily if they monitor their progress.
Final Thoughts
Losing weight (or maintaining weight) is perhaps the biggest concern for the health-conscious. People should make slow gradual changes for the long-term instead of changing for a short period and then returning to the same bad habits.
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